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Japan condemned the report of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, issued last week, in which it stated that “Ghosn’s arrest and detention four times was fundamentally unfair.”
The team of 5 independent experts explained that their criticism was not related to the accusations against Ghosn, but to the circumstances surrounding his detention, and said the 66-year-old’s detention was arbitrary, according to AFP.
The experts explained that the conditions of his detention were “unusually strict”, especially the second time he was arrested, when he was denied any contact with his wife or lawyer.
The experts called on Tokyo to take steps to correct Ghosn’s situation without delay, adding that the proper solution is to award Ghosn compensation in a way that does not contradict international law.
The Panel of Experts is reported not to speak for the United Nations and its views are not binding on implementation.
The former Nissan chief’s lawyer Francois Zimeray and Jessica Fennell praised what they described as a “courageous decision” and said it represented a crucial turning point.
For its part, the Japanese government rejected the results, saying it “deeply regrets that experts are providing opinions based on limited information and biased accusations, and not on an accurate understanding of the criminal justice system in Japan.”
Ghosn is reportedly arrested due to financial corruption allegations in November 2018 when his private plane landed in Tokyo, and was released on bail after a few months, but was again arrested 3 more times and spent a total of 130 days in detention before to flee to Lebanon and reach Beirut. December 30, 2019.
Ghosn, a Brazilian born with dual French and Lebanese nationality, denied the accusations against him.
